Winter Bites celebrates 10th year of showcasing local restaurants

Winter Bites is celebrating its 10th year of getting local residents to try a new restaurant and support local businesses.

“Something like this is really important especially in Windsor-Essex because what this week does is promote those independent, locally-owned restaurants,” Windsor Eats co-owner Adriano Ciotoli said Thursday.

“We’re pretty much a gem in all of Canada for the food and the dining scene that we have here. We’re on par especially in styles of cuisine with large cities like Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal just because of the diversity of the city.”

Winter Bites, which was started by Windsor Eats, starts Monday and runs until Jan. 20. So far it includes 18 restaurants each with three-course menus where diners have a choice for the most part for each course. It began because January is usually a slow period. At first Winter Bites had to lure people out of their comfort zone but now some of the restaurants are booked solid on the weekend, Ciotoli said.

It’s almost like a culinary week

“It started in 2009 and it’s been a huge success for restaurants since then. We’re pretty excited and proud of it,” he said.

Mezzo Ristorante and Lounge on Erie Street was one of the first spots to participate. Mezzo co-owner Phil Rocca said it boosts business by at least 25 per cent for the week. Mezzo goes with its staples like calamari, home-made ravioli, manicotti and vanilla creme brulee.

“I thought it was a really cool concept,” Rocca said. “It’s almost like a culinary week.”

Last year for the first time, Winter Bites changed its prices. This year there are four price options for the three-course menus: $13, $18, $28 and $38. The price of food has gone up and Ciotoli said it’s still cheaper than ordering the three courses separately.

“We used to be able to do $10 three-course menus believe it or not when we started in 2009.”

So far the Hoagie Market on Walker Road and Marco’s Pizzeria on Tecumseh Road East are offering the lowest price point of $13 lunch menus.

Some new spots this year include The Grove Brew House in Kingsville with an all-day $18 menu and a $28 dinner menu, Thai Time in South Windsor and Nola’s – A Taste of New Orleans in Walkerville, both with $28 three-course meal menus.

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Ciotoli said a couple restaurants have been with Winter Bites since the beginning including Mezzo, downtown Windsor’s Mazaar, and Enzo’s on Erie Street which this year has a $28 menu with Nutella Pizza as its third course.

The restaurants report they’ve seen a 30 to 35 per cent increase in business during the week. It draws regulars for an extra visit, it attracts new customers and it gives some places a chance to test a new dish.